Popular Mexican restaurant Lucha Libre has shut down its Manchester branch.

A note on the door of the venue in the Great Northern Warehouse on Deansgate said the unit had been repossessed and the locks had been changed today.

Confirming the closure on Facebook, the restaurant’s management raised the possibility of reopening in another part of the city in future.

They wrote: “It is with great regret that today we have closed our doors at Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester, for the last time.

“The area just hasn’t quite worked out for us as we had planned but we gave it our best shot.

“We would like to thank the incredible support we have had from the people of Manchester and most importantly to our unbelievable staff who have been an absolute pleasure to work with and who have worked so hard for us over the past couple of years. We will love you all forever.

“We must say that this is only goodbye for now and that we will be back stronger when we relaunch Lucha in the area we maybe should’ve gone for in the first place (watch this space).

“We must say that Manchester is such a fantastic city and there are many, many great restaurants to choose from and we hope to be part of it all again real soon when we reopen. Thanks for the memories Manchester, you are still one beautiful sexy beast xxx.”

The original Liverpool branch of the restaurant is not affected by the closure, bosses added.

Owners of the Great Northern Warehouse said they had had no choice but to take back the unit after months of discussions with the restaurant over its lease and rent.

A spokeswoman said: “We have been in continuous discussions with the tenant Lucha Libre over the past nine months concerning the terms of their lease and the payment of due rent, but unfortunately we have been unable to reach a mutually acceptable solution.

"Despite our very best attempts, as a result we have had no option but to take back the unit.”

Named after Mexico’s famous masked wrestling and taking inspiration from the restaurants and streets of Guadalajara, Lucha Libre was known for its tasty tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, taquitos and burritos, as well as mains ranging from ceviche and salad to burgers and chilli.